This invention relates to the field of ocean water sampling, and more particularly to apparatus for gathering samples from multiple depths for inspection by instrumentation for detecting the presence of matter such as contaminants and relating it to the zone from which the collection was made.
Prior sampling apparatus for that purpose have involved strings of collecting bottles, multiple conduit hose systems, and complex electronic sensor systems requiring considerable underwater electronics. These prior approaches have either been too slow for practical large area surveys, have been subject to inordinate power requirements, or have been complex, costly, and unreliable.